In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘SUGARRED I’. The present variety was hybridized by me in 2000, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley).
The variety was developed as a first generation cross using ‘Spring Bright’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,507), nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed nectarine seedling as the selected pollen parent. A single tree from the stated cross was selected as the claimed variety. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is most similar to its selected seed parent, ‘Spring Bright’ nectarine, by producing nectarines that are nearly globose in shape, acidic and sweet in flavor, and full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom by producing nectarines that are yellow with much more red bleeding in flesh color, that are larger in size, and that mature about five days earlier.